John was born on March 30, 1938 on a farm near Braddock, ND, the son of Charles and Ida (Wolf) Richards. He was baptized at the Lutheran Church in Braddock in June of 1939. He attended school in Moffit and Hazelton. They also lived in Pollock, SD for a short time and in Bismarck, ND. John married Loretta Heyne on September 11, 1965 and they resided in Hazelton, ND. John worked for the Hazelton School System for many years, retiring due to health problems. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Hazelton. John loved to hunt and fish and spend time with his family and friends. He especially enjoyed traveling with his grand-daughters, taking them to The Black Hills and Medora. John died June 14, 2011 at St. Alexius Medical Center surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife, Loretta of Hazelton, ND; a daughter and son-in-law: Lisa and Dean Puklich of Braddock, ND; a son, Mike of Hazelton, ND; two grand-daughters: Taylor and Kyra Puklich; one sister, Mavis Schell of Bismarck, ND; three brothers and sisters-in-law: Fred Richards of Bismarck, ND, Marvin and Patty Richards of Bismarck, ND and Gary and Valerie Richards of Bismarck, ND; sister-in-law, Alice Silbernagel of St. Paul, MN; brother-in-law, Larry Heyne of Hazelton, ND and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers: Edward and Albert; a sister-in-law, Jean Richards; brother-in-law, Alvin Schell; father-in-law and mother-in-law: Richard and Freida Heyne and a niece, Lauri Silbernagel.